Ja Morant has INSANE block against Avery Bradley
While this isn’t the first time the Memphis Grizzlies have been a good team, it’s the first time they’ve had a superstar player. Definitely, longtime Grizzlies fans look fondly at those teams led by Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and Mike Conley. Their run ranks up there with the classic runs, like the 1999-2005 Sacramento Kings and the 2001-2011 Dallas Mavericks. From 2011 until 2017, the “Grit N Grind” Grizzlies were a team to contend with.
The decision to move on from that era, which produced seven consecutive playoff appearances, led to the drafting of Ja Morant. That run was a franchise best for the Grizzlies and included a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Along the way, the Grizzlies built intense rivalries with the Clippers, Thunder, and Spurs. Immediately, the Grizzlies fell to one of the NBA’s worst teams and Mike Conley was the last piece moved.
Ja Morant was the second pick of the 2019 draft, as he immediately replaced Conley. The first season saw Memphis barely miss the playoffs, finishing ninth in 2020. Then, last season, Ja Morant got more comfortable, as a leader. He led the Grizzlies into the playoffs, by defeating the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In. Earning the eighth seed, they won Game 1 of the playoffs, against Mike Conley’s Utah Jazz, the NBA’s best team.
The Cinderella run ended for Memphis, in the Utah series, as they’d lose four straight. This season, the Grizzlies have established themselves as one of the NBA’s best teams. Ja Morant, alongside of this, has established himself as one of the league’s best players. Currently, he has them on a franchise record nine game winning streak, and they have won the season series, against the Lakers.
